As someone just getting into sports again this year, it took a few months to see some patterns in Rockets play this past season, especially with the playoffs (no TV at home, so had to catch ’em all at work). I was concerned about the offensive game because the sheer amount of turnovers the Rockets collected was impressive, but the offensive game looked messy.

When watching other teams they played against on the court, it felt like a free-for-all when the Rockets went to score. Other teams had a pass-game I couldn’t see on the Rockets’ side, and that cost them quite a bit toward the end.

So when all the videos started coming out making fun of the Rockets for getting Kevin Durant, I wondered why. I was initially worried because it meant giving up Jalen Green, but over time I had to take off my fangirl glasses and see he was inconsistent over time. I missed a LOT of those mistakes when other players like Amen Thompson started getting hurt and other players like vanVleet started having bad throwing games.

It felt like when a player had some bad luck or injury, there wasn’t anyone who covered the skill gap and worked around it. Not as cohesive as it should’ve been for a team going into the playoffs.

Being a re-newbie, I didn’t get the hate. He’s 36, but he’s still putting up fantastic points and stats on the board. The naysayers harp on recent injuries that have sidelined him a bit, but some injuries are inevitable over time… he still has enough in him to come back. More than that, I’ve always had that feeling that you need a mix of youth and experience to get a more cohesive team. Durant definitely has the experience, and in the weeks since I saw THIS video’s statistical breakdown, suddenly the narrative is changing and Durant is a good idea.

I wondered what had been bothering me about the past season and the offensive game; Hoops Central’s video put the finger on what felt wrong to me. I’m looking forward to the new season.